i use wordpress for this blog, and one of the cool things is it tells me how people found my site. it will show the url of links to the blog, and it also shows the keywords people type into search engines. lately i’ve been noticing that a huge chunk of people are doing searches for “short film ideas”.
i think for a short film, the idea is the most important thing. more than the actors, more than production quality, more than your directing ability. it’s so easy to get distracted by all the elements of making the movie, but if you don’t have a unique idea, i would hold off on making the movie. it would be better to spend the time honing your writing skills by revising the script. but not everyone who wants to be a filmmaker can write. if that’s the case, i suggest you meet writers and acquire good scripts to shoot. and even then, if you’re the director, you have to put your stamp on it. not just visual style, but storytelling style. i was at a lecture that featured big agents and managers, and they said what they look for most in new directors is a unique voice. whether you write it yourself or find a script through other means, you still have to craft it to fit what you want to say.
one thing i notice about creative people in any discipline is the tendency to settle too quickly on their idea. don’t do it! i know the feeling of excitement and wanting to get started, but the time spent refining the idea will be worth it. find the core concept of the story and really brainstorm as many different variations as you can. this will help you avoid cliches and give you a better chance at coming up with something really unique. when i wrote Edit>Love, i made a lot of lists of all the software related things that i could think of. one of the last things i came up with (i think it was 2 days before shooting) was the screensaver moment near the end of the movie, and i think that’s one of the best parts of short.
lastly, just having a cool idea does not mean you have a good story or a script. it takes a lot of hard work to refine that idea and figure out how to best express it.
maybe next time i’ll go through the process of how i write in case that helps anyone.
you know, i came onto your site from GR Lounge and I’ve been following some of your work since the piece about the guy in the eyepatch. as a production student and producer/director/editor hopeful, i’ve found your site interesting and helpful. you’re a gifted writer and have done a great job outlining your process. people can definitely get a lot out of it, i know i have.
wow, thanks so much for the kind words! i hope you can avoid some of the mistakes i’ve made along the way.
I totally agree with squinty, this website has helped me greatly, keep up the great work!